Gingersnap

Two For Two Award – When Showtime released this season’s episode titles earlier in the year, I shared with others that U2 music would make an appearance again in Billions, based on the episode title alone. And I was right. First it was ‘With or Without You’ in season two and now ‘New Year’s Day.’

Loyal As Fuck Award – Axe. Fiji be damned, he’s there for Wendy.

Potential Billions Spinoff Name – Charl and Bub 🙂 The back and forth nick-name calling between Chuck and Axe this episode is giving me Nagasaki feelers again.

I Can’t Drive 55 Award – Lonnie with his perfect Sammy reference “Brought close only to be expelled. Like Sammy Hagar in Van Halen.”

Brian Koppelman prefers David Lee Roth in VH, so I’m pleasantly surprised Sammy got this kind of acknowledgment. Don’t worry, Sammy is fine living it up in Cabo Wabo making his own Tequila.

Lady Trader

Best Hair – Welcome back Lonnie Watley! And as we say in Brooklyn: Big Hair, Don’t Care!

Best Wearing of White After Labor Day – I nearly spit my drink out when Spyros revealed that white doctor’s coat! And the stethoscope! When Ari goes cosplay, he really goes cosplay!

Best Role Reversal – Axe telling Wendy to calm down? Axe telling Wendy to go to Taylor and ask for forgiveness? Wow. Maybe Axe has been listening to Wendy this whole time!

Damianista

Master of Sign Language – Todd Krakow

Who knew Krakow has mastered the sign language? Hats off to Mr. Treasury Secretary for being extremely cautious in contract negotiations — you never know who is listening! 😀

Ultimate Team – Axe and Wendy

Axe knew Wendy would be his partner at Axe Capital for life when he witnessed her loyalty in public and her dedication to the greater cause in private. Now we know why he calls her the company’s spirit animal and why he was willing to go to jail for her. He needs Wendy more than anyone at Axe Capital.

So Wendy was right when she once said she built the company as much as Axe did. And they will protect it together valuing the cause more than their personal interests.

So Axe lets Axe Cap employees go home and sends everyone a case of champagne with a tin of caviar while Wendy is on her way to apologize to Taylor. They are the ultimate team.

Most Surprising Profession – Professional Cuddling

Wags seems to be in such a weak emotional state that the only solution Wendy could think of is not a session with her but a session with a professional cuddler! A WHAT?!?! Right.

Believe it or not, professional cuddlers are real. They provide people a safe space to feel accepted, respected and worthy for exactly who they are! 😀 And it seems this is exactly what Wags needs! For Your Information: Anyone can book a therapeutic cuddling session at cuddlist.com!

Prominent Tax Cheater – Axe

While he is happy to pay around $100 a piece for 18 paintings including Picasso’s Boy with Pipe (last sold for $104M in real life!) Axe is not willing to pay Uncle Sam his share — custom duties and sales tax.

So he introduces us to a new concept: Freeport. This is a storage area at a private airport where one can store their art works that are permanently “in transit” so the owner does not have to pay customs duties and sales tax. The kind of stuff people do for tax evasion never ceases to amaze me! You can read about the role of freeports in global art markets here.

Employee of the Year – Ben Kim

Who else voluntarily comes to office on New Year’s Day to sit alone, visualize and do his goal setting for the year? But after the cuddling session with Wags, Ben may never come to office on New Year’s Day ever again! 😀

Quickest Espresso Drinker in the West – Axe

Well, Axe is getting a lot of awards today, huh? 😀 But, I mean, if you want to have your espresso like a boss, you need to consume it quickly but that quick?!?! And I feel for Spyros who has certainly put his heart and soul into that pull… which was decent according to Stephen Kunken! And when you read Kunken’s tweet it is impossible not to feel for Damian…. Awww! The warrior indeed!

That was a decent pull. No striping. On one particular take @lewis_damian took a shot that was too freshly pulled and threw it back burning his entire throat. Without skipping a beat he spit out the entire burning cup onto my floor and just kept going. #warrior@SHO_Billions

This is my music here. You can take your heavy metal Lady Trader – just give me my 80’s alternative!

Strangest Analogy – the Sammy Hagar line about leaving Van Halen

Brian Koppelman has said on numerous times how much he hates the Van Hagar edition of the band – so why would he give them some props with this analogy – I am so confused!!!

The Does He Actually Work Award – Mafee

When was the last time he actually did some earning like he used to do for Axe Cap – all he does now is make awkward social office moves and hang out in the bosses office – we haven’t seen him cut a deal yet and he is supposed to be Taylor’s number one guy – earn it Mafee!!

Relationships On Shaky Ground – Axe and Chuck

Their bromance is fading. Obviously Chuck and Wendy are on the total outs right now – and Bonnie and Bill may be over before it ever really began. Can anyone stay loyal to someone else for any sense of longevity here? Well, besides Bobby and Wags.

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Author: Damianista

Academic, Traveler, Blogger, Runner, Theatre Lover, Wine Snob, Part-time New Yorker, and Walking Damian Lewis Encyclopedia :D Procrastinated about a fan's diary on Damian Lewis for a while and the rest is history!
View all posts by Damianista

Super perceptive from all the gals (the amazing D- the originator) that run this blog. You can/could write this show as well or better than the ones listed on IMDB. File under fan fiction? I said MaFee was useless as in no Earning. While I predicted Victor Mateo (my dark horse) would get redemption, and he did via helping Axe with dodging his paintings taxes, and he is halfway there on Redemption and (crass) payback.

Taylor in or out after this season? I think she is done same as The Russian Andolvev who was charming for a while but eventually ran thin with his evil murderous at the drop of hat oligarch shtick….. IOW Taylor Mason and Andolov are both *exotic* but will now be (were) written out

Thank you for reading us and for your support and kind words! Mafee seems to be utterly clueless this season – especially when it comes to the opposite sex. From Wendy to Lauren, he definitely gets the signals wrong. Very wrong 🙂 Yep, Victor is on his way to new VM Capital!

Interesting prediction about Taylor. I would say Taylor will stay because it is a very interesting character and Asia Kate Dillon has just become one of the big four in the show. I guess we will wait and see — only two episodes left! We will have serious withdrawals!